The Black River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011 river in the U.S. state of

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

, and a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...

. The watershed, or drainage basin, consists of some in southeastern Vermont, almost all of which lies in Windsor County. Panorama of Comtu or Black River Falls, Springfield, VT

Panorama of Comtu or Black River Falls, Springfield, VT

Course

The Black River begins in a small body of water called Black Pond, in

Plymouth, Vermont Plymouth is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 641 at the 2020 census. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, was born and raised in Plymouth and is buried there as well. The State of Vermont D ...

. Winding its way toward the town of

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...

, its narrow flow picks up a variety of small brooks and streams and is cooled by overhanging branches. Passing through Amherst Lake, Echo Lake, Lake Rescue, and Lake Pauline, the Black River picks up more tributaries and winds through the town of Ludlow, the home of

Okemo Mountain Okemo Mountain Resort is a ski resort located in the town of Ludlow, Vermont, United States. The resort experienced 600,000 skier visits in 2009. Parents Magazine rated it the Top US Family Snow Resort. History Okemo was founded in 1955 b ...

Ski Resort. Tumbling through impressive Cavendish Gorge, the river widens as it passes under the Downers Covered Bridge and enters Perkinsville. The North Branch of the Black River, its headwaters in

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...

, joins the main stem in Weathersfield at the flood control dam. Built by the Army Corps of Engineers between 1957–60, the dam holds back waters to protect the downstream towns of North Springfield and Springfield from floods. The Black River pushes on through these final two towns, past small dams and many industrial sites, until its final confluence with the Connecticut River at Hoyt's Landing, across from New Hampshire's

Fort at Number 4 The Fort at Number 4 was a mid-18th century stockade fortification protecting Plantation Number 4, the northernmost British settlement along the Connecticut River in the Province of New Hampshire until after the French and Indian War. It was loca ...

in Charlestown. Its watershed lies south of the

Ottauquechee River The Ottauquechee River (pronounced ''AWT-ah-KWEE-chee'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in eastern Vermont in the United States. It is a tributary ...

and north of the Williams River.

History

Since the settlement of Springfield in the mid-18th century, the river has been at its heart. A source of power for the many industrial factories built on her shores, many small hydro dams were built near the impressive Comtu Falls in the center of Springfield. The official name of those falls is Black River Falls. Flooding was a common occurrence on the Black River. Particularly noteworthy was the flood of 1927. A late-season tropical storm brought torrential rains to the lower towns of the watershed in early November. The small tributary streams overflowed their banks, releasing thousands of gallons of cold water into the Black River. Homes were lost, hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage was done, and businesses were destroyed.Lyndes, The Black River's Rampage, 1927: Springfield, VT. American Legion Press, 195.

References

External links

Black River , Connecticut River tributary , Vermont

CRWC

* https://web.archive.org/web/20061117141041/http://www.springfieldvt.com/toonerville.pdf * http://www.swcrpc.org

Vermont Association of Conservation Districts. Our Land. Our Water. Our Future.

Black River: Whitesville to Perkinsville , Vermont Whitewater Kayaking Routes
{{authority control Rivers of Vermont Tributaries of the Connecticut River Rivers of Windsor County, Vermont

Course

History

See also

References

External links